Halloween is quickly approaching, which means children (and some adults) are eager to dress up and have fun. While trick-or-treating is commonly saved for young ones, the fact is that a surge in candy sales leads to buckets full of sweet treats when ghosts, ghouls, and goblins arrive home. If you are planning to greet trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood, consider some non-candy alternatives that will protect smiles but also give kids a reason to smile.
Why Too Much Candy is a Bad Thing
Everyone knows the dangers of sugar. Not only can it cause weight gain and serious overall health conditions to develop, but it can be harmful to teeth, causing cavities to form over time.
When it comes to your child dumping out the contents of their Halloween buckets or bags, the one ingredient found in virtually every piece of candy is sugar. So, no matter how many pieces they want to consume, it puts their teeth at risk. And because many of these young trick-or-treaters are so tired when they get home, they may neglect brushing and flossing their teeth before bed, allowing the sugar to remain on their teeth throughout the night.
As a result, bacteria feed on the sugars, causing harmful acids to form and begin eating away at the outer layer of enamel. If left untreated, it can result in one or more small holes forming, also known as cavities.
Which Non-Candy Alternatives Can Be Successful on Halloween Night?
If you don’t want to be the person who hands out candy like the rest, some alternatives will still leave kids feeling as if they got a real treat on Halloween. Some of the most common ones include:
- Stickers
- Fidget toys
- Crayons
- Temporary tattoos
- Mini puzzles
- Slime
- Glow bracelets and rings
- Bookmarks
- Silly glasses
- Bubbles
- Individual serving snack bags (i.e., Goldfish)
- Mini bottles of water
- Play-Doh
- Keychains
- Slap bracelets
Ways to Keep Teeth Healthy at Halloween
Letting your child enjoy a few pieces on Halloween is fine; however, you’ll want to make sure that they stick to their nightly oral hygiene routine before going to bed. Making sure sugar isn’t resting on their teeth while they sleep is essential.
And while they may be eager to snack on these sweet treats throughout the following days and weeks, consider a few different things you and your family can do to minimize the amount of candy in the house:
- Donate some of the gathered goods to servicemen and women overseas.
- See if your dentist offers a candy buyback program.
- Check if charities in the area might be able to use donated candy for their cause.
Halloween can be a fun time for everyone, and kids can still eat some of their favorite candies as part of the celebration. However, make sure their desire to enjoy a few sweet treats doesn’t result in a hauntingly scary smile for the holidays.
About the Practice
At Amaze Dental, we know the holidays are a time for indulging, especially in candy at Halloween time. However, too much of a good thing can lead to serious oral health problems if you’re not careful. This is why you can contact us via our website or by calling (972) 230-1100 to find out ways to safeguard your family’s smiles while having a scary good time.